Doorstop and door closer



mg; :m wm@ VM R DORL DOORSTOP AND DOOR CLOSER Filed Jan. 22. 1921 INVENTOR Ua/'fef' UF.

ATTOR EY Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,504,748 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER P. DORD, OF DIEYIROIV'I7 MICIIIGrAN,` ASSIGNOR TO DOOR CONTROL COMPANY,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION F MICHIGAN.

Doons'ror AND noon oLosER.

Application filed January 22, 1921. `Serial No. 439,186.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, WALTER P. Domi., citizen of the United. States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan,

have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Doorstopsand Door Closers, and declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchl as will enable others skilled inl the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the, accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification. My invention relates to door stop'` and closer apparatus. More particularly it relates to improvements in check straps or bands adapted to limit the outward swinging movement of a door so as to relieve the hinges from the strain which would be thrown upon them-should they alone be used to determine the extent of swinging movement of the door and is particularly adapted for use withvehicle body doors, such as automobile doors. It is necessary to supply some means to limit the outward swinging movement of such a door otherwise there is great danger of breaking the hinge when the door is open.

A further object is to provide such a check strap adapted not only tolimit the outward swinging movement of the door but to exert force on the door tending to close the same from an open position yet so constructed and arranged that the door is permitted to stand in a determined position to which it has been opened. In this class of doo-rs it is desirable,` that the door remain standing in an open position toy permit passengers to enter and leave the vehicle without it being necessary to hold the door open.

More specifically the object is to provide a check strap thus maintained under tension so as to close the door from its open position, means being provided to releasably engage such strap at a determined open position of the door in such a manner that though the tension maintained on the' strap will be insufficient to overcome the friction of the door and close the same upon the application of external force tendingv to close the door and overcoming its friction such means will be released so that the door will be subjected to the tension of the strap and the same will be closed.V It is apparent, however, that the tension maintained on the strap may be either suflicient to close the door or merely sufficient to a-id in closing the door depending entirely upon the strength of the spring means used.

4These and other objects will more fully appear in the within specification and appendant claims, in which:

Figure 1 is a frontelevation of my device secured in position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. l. i

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 3 8 o-f Fig. l, when the apparatus is constricted by virtue of the door being open.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a travelling crossmember mounted on the guide rods.

Fig. 6 is' a perspective of the resilient locking means.

In the embodiment of my invention here in set forth let a indicate a swinging door pivoted to the side wall or j amb of a vehicle body such as an automobile. This jamb-is cut away as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 providing ay recess within which my device is positioned. The body lining covers this device so that it will not be exposed to view.

I provide a flexible band or check strap c one end of which is secured to the door at a po-int not indicated in the drawings and the other end `of which is secured to a travel ling yoke d which is mounted for slidable movement upon a. pair of fixed parallel guide rods e and f. For convenience these guide rods are formed integrallybeing bent substantially in the shape of a U and at the closed end are secured to the jamb` by means of a clip g through the use of screws or in any other convenient manner. At their free ends these guide rods are secured to a plate 7L which plate is fastened to the jamb by means of screws 71.2 or in any convenient manner. A lower plate section is provided which is likewise secured to the jamb and provided with side flanges 2 upon which said flanges the upper plate L rests. The strap c is adapted to pass through the open-r ing betweenthese two plates travelling over a roller lo disposed near the outer end of the plate z', an end plate Z is fastened to the edge of the jamb.

The flanges i2 formed on the lower'plate member serve as a fixed stop for the outer movement of the yoke d over the guide rods e. and f?, therefore, when the ldoor is opened and the strap withdrawn when the yoke d comes against the flanges 2 a limit will have been set to the Voutward movement of the door. Strap c is secured to the cross member ilV by being folded tliereover, the end of the strap being Ysecured to the Ymain body of the strap by a spring clip m provided with a tongue member 'm2 extending longitula, will be against the tension of these i springs, the springs having a tendency to hold theV door closed. As the door is opened suiiiciently to bring the stop n which is 'fas-V tened to the strap into contact with the catch member p which is pivoted to the plate 7L the member p will ride up over the sloping side of the stop n and engage therewith as Y, shown in Fig. 4. The spring tongue m2 vwill have a tendency to hold these catch members in engagement 'with each, other. This spring tongue member m2 is sufioiently strong to maintain such a pressure upon the engaging catch fmembers that the tension exerted on the strap by the springs e2 and f2 will not be suihcient to overcome the friction of the door with the added impedi-Y ment .of the engaged catch members, however, when external force 'is applied to the door tending to close the same and overcome its friction the tension exerted upon the strap bythe springse2 and f2 will besuflicient to overcome the engagement Vof the catch members and the door will `be released Yto the Vaction of the strap tension and close.

It is apparent that these springsreg and f? might be strong enough to close the door or merely strong enough to assist in closing the door or merely of sufficient strength V to retract the strap when the door is closed,

the requirement being that such springs be strong eno-ugh to releaseY the catch members to permit the closing of the door.`

v It is also apparent that this device might be also Yinstalled in a recess formed in the door itself rather than installed as shown herein in a recess formed in the Vjambl "The operation would, in either instance, bev the same.

What I claim is;

1. VIn Va vehicle body, in combination, the body wall, a doorfpivoted thereto, a flexible check bandlone endvof which is secured to the door the other end of which is secured to the body wall, resilient fastening means securing at least one endv of said band to the member tov which it is fastened in such a manner that as the door is opened the band is drawn outwardly against the tension of said resilient fastening means, means for limiting the outward travel of such band in the opening of the door, a catch member so positioned that the band will travel thereby as the door is opened, a stop carried by said band adapted to engage said catch member at a determined open position of the door to prevent the tension on the band from retracting the same, and means adapted to releasably hold said catch in engagement with the stop to prevent retraction of the band by the tension of said resilient fastening thereon.

2. Incombination with a swinging door and a jamb to which the same is pivoted, a check band one end of which is secured to "the door the other end of which is secured to the jamb, yielding means for maintaining tension on said band against which the same is drawn outwardly in the opening' of the door, such tension being suf- Iicient t0 retract the band to close the dooi, means for limiting the outward travel of said band in the opening of the door, a stop carried by the band, a stationary pivotally mounted catch adapted to engage said stop to prevent retraction of the band, and a spring member so mounted as to engage said catch and hold the same yieldingly in engagement with the stop against the tension of the strap but releasable upon the application of external force to close the door.

3. In combination with a swinging door and a jamb t0 which the same is pivoted, a flexible check strap one end of which is secured to the door and the other end of which is secured to the jamb, such strap adapted to permit the opening and closing of the door but provided with means co-operating therewith to limit the Outward swinging of the door, resilient means securing one end of said strap to the member to which it is fastened in such a manner that as the door is opened the check strap is withdrawn against the yielding tension of said means, said means being adapted vto exert tension on the check strap to close the door from its open position, a stop carried by said strap, a stationary catchl pivotally mounted over said strap so the strap stop passes thereunder when the strap is withdrawn, and a spring member carried by the strap overhanging said strap stop to releasably hold said piv'oted catch in engagement with the stop.

' 4. In combination with a door jamb and a door pivoted thereto, a flexible cliecak strap secured at one end to the door and at the opposite end of the jamb, resilient fastening means securing at least one end of said strap to the member to which it is fastened in such a manner that the strap will be drawn outwardly as the door is opened against the tension of said fastening means' said resilient fastening means exerting sufficient tension on said -strap to retract the same and close the door, said strap provided with a stop, a stationary pivotally mounted catch adapted to ride up over the strap stop as the strap is Withdrawn in the opening of the door and engage the same to prevent retraction of the strap, and means for maintaining said catch n engagement With 'said strap stop to prevent retraction of the strap by the tension thereon releasabie upon application of eX- ternal force to close the door.

In testimony whereof I sign this specication.

VALTER P. DORL. 

